Do not Disturb is part of the Greenwich Theatre’s on-going program of fantastic theatre plays specifically designed with children and accompanying adults in mind.
Presented by the much celebrated Spanish Vaiven Circo Spanish Theatre Company, the play is a piece of physical theatre and contemporary circus at its very best, combining dangerously vertiginous acrobatics, graceful dancing, and an ingeniously designed giant prop, together with Chaplin-like humour and originally composed music.
Taking us to the early twentieth century during a day of work in a factory, the play is cleverly structured between work and play time, allowing for a varied and flowing direction. The objective of the four characters in the play is to build a machine which is going to enable them to crack walnuts, a simple enough premise, but with so many twists!
That’s where the ingeniously giant prop comes into play, actually inspired by a traditional century mill wheel, which is progressively being assembled on stage in front of our very eyes. Each attempt at its construction is a welcome excuse to create funny and exciting situations. To start with, the dancers/acrobats play with its four quarter circles, and exploit the sonic, rhythmic, sculptural, and movement potential of these wooden structures. Then, the semi-circle structure enables a wide range of acrobatics, from perilous balancing and tight-roping to playful sliding, while two semi-circles become a boat for a more poetic and contemplative moment. The horse was the most amazing of all, defying both gravity and equilibrium.
Echoing so perfectly the fun and engineering prowess to be found in playgrounds and fun-fairs, both children and adults really loved it!